Mounting for oscillatory members



March 27, 1945. P, N MARflN 2,372,594

MOUNTING FOR OSQILLATORY MEMBERS Filed Dec. 26, 1942 INVENi-QR v fia 'Z'MMaP/z'n 1977 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1945 f UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFlCE MOUNTING FOR Zihfriirohr MEMnsRs Signal Company, of Pennsylvania Swissvale, Pa., a corporation Application December 26, 1942, Serial No. 470,266 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-466) My invention relates to a mounting for oscillatory members, and particularly to a mounting for the contact fingers, armatures or other oscillatory parts of electrical relays and similar devices.

One object of my invention is to provide a mounting which will absorb a, minimum amount of operating force, and which at the same time is sufliciently rugged for practical handling in production.

According to my invention, the mounting cornprises a relatively thin flexible supporting member'secured at its opposite ends to a support and to the oscillatory member, and disposed with all of its length beto a stiff member supported on a hinge pin without the objection of possible sticking and the v relatively higher cost of a hinge pin arrangement.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I shall describe several forms of mountings embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing a mounting embodying my invention applied to an electrical contact." Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in a different position. Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views showing modifications of the mounting means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a back view showing amounting embodying my invention applied to the armature of the usual tractive type of relay. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

} Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2,,the reference character I designates a fixed contact finger and the reference character 2 designates a movable contact finger which cooperates with the fixed contact finger I to form an electrical contact L4. The fixed contact finger I may have any preferred construction. As here shown it comprises a flexible strip la of suitable conducting material such as phosphor bronze riveted at one end to a rigid supporting strip lb, and provided at the other end with a low resistance contact member lc consisting of a carbon block. The supporting strip lb is moulded into a block 3 of suitable insulating material such as a phenol condensatlon product, and has riveted thereto below the flexible strip la a curved strip ld which acts asa stop to position the flexible strip when the contact formed by the two contact fingers I and 2 is open. 1

The movable contact finger 2 is constructed in accordance with my present invention, and comprises a relatively thin flexible strip 20. riveted at one end to a rigid supporting strip 21) moulded into the block 3 in a manner similar to the strip lb of the finger l. The free end of the strip 2a is disposed with all but a relatively short amount of its length contiguous to the supporting strip 21) between two reinforcing strips 20 and Ed which are riveted to the strip by means of spaced rivets 2c. The rivets 2e also serve'to fasten to the finger 2 a low resistance contact member 2f for cooperation with the low resistance contact member lc of the finger l. The low resistance contact member 2e may have any desired construction, but as shown it consists of a U-shaped strip of silver Or silver laminated material. The reinforcing strips are bent outwardly away from the strip 2a atthe ends next to the supporting strip 2b, and secured to the strip 2a between the diverging ends of the reinforcing strips is a double headed rivet 2g which acts as a spacing member, and which permits the flexible strip 2a to flex uniformly in the form of a gradual curve through a relatively large part of its length whenthe movable contact finger is moved toward or away from the fixed contact finger to engage or disengage the low resistance contact members 2] and lo. The necessary movement of the finger 2 to engage or disengage the low resistance contact members 2 and lo may be accomplished in any desired mannerx. Asillustrated, the finger 2 is arranged to be moved by an insulating operating member 4 provided with a laterally projecting pin 5 carrying an insulating thimble 6. thimble 6 extends between and cooperates with bifurcations 2h and 22' secured to the free end of the finger 2 by means of certain ones of the rivets 2e which secure the reinforcing strips to the flexible strip 2a. The insulating operating member 4 may be operated manually or may be connected to the armature or other movable member of arelay, as will be readily understood.

As shown in Fig. 1, the parts occupy the posi tions they occupy when the contact is open, and under these conditions, the flexible strip 2a. is un flexed. When it is desired to close the contact,

the operating member 4 is moved upwardly to the position in which the contact member 2f engages the contact member lc as shown in Fig. 2. This movement of the operating member causes the flexible strip 211 to flex uniformly in a gradual curve throughout substantially all of that part of its length extending from the point where the strips Zc and 2d start to diverge to the point where the strip 2a joins the strip 211. and it will be seen therefore that the whole assembly of the Themovable finger has a resulting action very similar to a stifimembensupported on ahingepinwithout the objectionsfofi possible sticking'andhigh cost of the hinge pin arrangement.

It should be particularly pointed out that due.

to the fact that the flexible strip 2a is relatively thin and is caused to flex through a" relatively large part of its length, very little deflecting force. is required to operate the contact. Furthermore,

in spite of the use of the relatively. thin strip 2a.

with the consequent low deflecting force required and the low fibre stress produced in the strip,

the whole contact finger assembly is suflic'iently rugged for practical handling in production because of the very short unsupported length of the flexiblestrip 2a. It will be apparent; of course;

that the flexing-ofthestr-ip 2a causes-a slight slid ing action between the rivet 2g and the diverging ends of the reinforcing strips.

A contact finger em'bodying'my invention is particularly suitable for; although in no way limited to; use in plug-in relays of the type describeddepends to a largeextent .uponthe operating force required to move the movablecontact fingers. With thecontact fingers constructedin' the manner des'cribechthis operating force is re In relays of'this type, a relaaway from the strips H and I2 to permit the desiredlflexingrof the strip. as explained below.

, Securedtoea'chof thestrips H and l2between 7 only a'few forms of mountings. for oscillatory members embodying my invention, it-is'underducedto a minimumwithout any substantial increase: in cost and. without any decrease in the reliability of thearelay.

If. desired, the possible.distortion -of the thin flexible stri 2a dueto. rough handling; astinth'e shipment oftherelay, maybe further reduced by extending the diverging ends of the reinforc ing strips: 2c and 2rd to the point where they over lap the adjacent endlof the supportingstripiZlL asshown in Fig. 3.

InFig. 4Ihaveshown analternate method of spacin the thinfl'exible strip 2a from: the diverging ends of thereinforcing strips2cand 2d, which method consists in providing the diverging endsof the reinforcing strips withsma1l..curved ofiset portions 27 and Zhwhichcontact the opposite side-oi the strip 2a directly opposite each other.

Referring now to. Figs: 5 and 6, I have here shown mounting. means embodying my invention arranged to support thearmature I of a-relay. The relay is of the well knowndirect current tractive-type, andrcomprises in additionto the armature I an electromagnet 3 consisting of a pair of parallel cores 8 connectedattheir upper ends by a back-strap 9 and provided at'theirlower ends with enlarged pole.pieces H1} The mountingmeans for thearma'ture 1 com prisestwo relatively thinflat st'ripsJl and 12 of resilientmaterialisuch asphosphor bronze, the upper ends of'which'are securedto theone edge ofthe' armature in parallel. spaced relation by means of'screws l3 and clampingblocks' M. The lower ends of the supporting strips areea'chdisa posed" between two reinforcing strips 15 and 1H5; and are secured by means of screws I 'l'and" [8 to a supportin'gbracket IQ of nonmagnetizable material such as brass, which latter, in turn, is fastened to the sidesof. the pole pieces l0 by mean's"of'screws;2il;v The strips H and l2 extend upwardly in a plane disposed substantially at right angles to the pla'ne of the pole faces. 10a of the pole pieces'lfl, and the reinforcing strips I5"and' l6 havethe'ir upper'ends bent outwardly the diverging ends of the associated reinforcing strips [5 and I6 is a double headed rivet 21 which acts as a spacing member and which causes the flexible'str-ips: l'l' and; I2 to flex uniformly in the form ofa gradual curve through a relatively large part of their lengths in response to movement otthearmature l'toward or away from the pole pieces-10s One advantage of the mounting means shown in'Fi'gs; 5 and 6 is that it restrains the armature from appreciable motion horizontally without the necessity for any additional guiding means.

Another advantage of the mounting means shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is that since. only a relatively shortlength oiiith'e strips! 6 and I2 is nonsupported thesestrips can'bemade'thin enough to require very little deflecting force to bend them in the-direction to permit the desired movement of the armature.

Although I have herein shown and described stood that various changes: and modifications may be. made-therein within thescope of the:

appended claims without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. Amountingfor anioscillatory membercomprising a fixedsupport, a relatively thin flexible spring member secured at its opposite ends to i said support and to'said'oscillatorymember and disposed with. all. but a-relatively. short. amount of its length between two relatively stiff rein forcing memberssecured to said oscillatory member-and-each spacedlat'one end from said spring member. by spacing means. which permits said spring member to flexthrough a large partof its length.

2. A movable contactflnger comprising aflxed supporting member, a relatively thin flexible strip secured at one end to saidsupporting member and having all of its free endbut .a relatively short portion adjacent :to saidsupporting member secured between two reinforcing members which are securedto said oscillatory member and which diverge away fromsaid strip, a contact member secured tothe free end of said finger and a spacingmember secured-to said flexiblestrip between the diverging ends of saidreinforcing members and acting tocausesaidstrip to flex through a relatively-large. part of its-length inrespcnse to movement. of the free: end of said finger.

3. A movable contact finger comprisingarelatively thin flexiblerstrip secured at one endwto a supporting. strip and having all of itsother end but a relatively short portion adjacent to said supporting strip disposed between two reinforcin'g, strips which are secured=to saidother endof said flexible strip, said reinforcing stripsbeing. spacedfrom' said flexible strip at the endsadjacent to said supporting strip, a double headed rivet secured. to said flexible. strip between the spaced'ends-of said reinforcing strips andv cooperatingtherewithrto cause said .flexiblestrip to flex in a gradual-curve throughout .a largepart of its length when said otherenduof saidflexible strip is moved, anda low resistance contact member secured to said stripfor cooperation with the contact member of. a cooperating.contactflnger.

PAULlN. MARTIN. 

